Optical Illusion
by unnafraher
Summary: Time passes. Things change, things remain the same. Some believe, some do not. Nothing is too great of a mystery if you but open your eyes. Even the greatest illusion can be seen through, after all. - Post GX, light Spiritshipping, multi-part-
1. Dutiful Time, Glorious Illusion

So here is the start of my fourth multi-part _Yu-Gi-Oh! DM GX_ fanfiction. I am quite excited, as I have high hopes for this piece. With eight chapters in total, it will be the second longest story I have written as well as the longest Spiritshipping!story. While I am excited, I am also wary of how it will be received. The premise is strange at best (though when are they ever strong for me?), and there will be an OC playing a major role later on.

A few people know what will happen because I have talked about this with them. One person in particular has endured it at length, and for that I am truly grateful. You know who you are, I am sure. : )

So anyway, please take this piece for what it is, and keep an open mind to the sketchy aspects. My greatest wish is that you may enjoy what you read— that you will not have wasted your time clicking and reading.

And one last note to the reader: I supplicate you to pay attention to detail, because not everything is as it seems.

Disclaimer: _I do not own _Yu-Gi-Oh! DM GX.

* * *

In time Johan Andersen had learned a dear lesson over and over: appreciate what you have and when you have for not only is that time limited, but it is better to have no regrets so that only sweet and precious memories are left when that particular thing is gone. This held especially true of a certain place and person which he held dear to him even now as he lay in a cradle of his efforts at the roof of the world. These days he was a successful pro duellist jetting around the world from duel to duel, from place to place, living his life in stretches and breathes between duels, all the while spreading his message of the importance of the bond between deck and duellist. Though in the past few months he had been focussing more on tournaments rather than individual duels, he still was quite busy. Usually he would spend a week in a city, as tournaments tended to last about six days, and there was one extra day for personal time, autograph sessions, and public appearances with eminent people. Then it would be time for him to set off to meet with the next round of opponents and people. He now was with people always, a people person. There was nothing wrong with this lifestyle per se, but it was detrimental to the soul, even to someone as sure and vivacious as Johan.

So when his manager told him that he had a week off while he worked out a certain deal with a certain person, Johan was more than relieved. Johan decided that he would return home to Norway, and his manager (Travis Webber), much to his relief, had no problem with this, even encouraged him to take the time to himself.

The thing about his home was that no matter how tired, distressed, or broken he was, he was immediately refreshed and renewed upon seeing the setting of his younger year, even if he had been away for years. It was peculiar how soothing home could be to a weary soul, but he found it to be just a natural part of the cycle, the cycle of creation as an artist. He went out in the world and with his words and actions painted on the great global canvas, painted with his own unique and exhilarating colour until his hands, soul, mind, and heart were exhausted. He would then return and rest where he had learned and mastered the art of his humanity and his message, and then he would emerge, cleansed and invigorated, ready to create again.

His cabbie stopped and pulled up to the sidewalk at half past eleven. Johan paid his fare ("You keep the change"), gathered his luggage (a red valise bag and suitcase), and stood on the cobbled sidewalk to watch the car disappear behind an opaque veil of darkness until it was utterly gone, around a corner and never to return. He then tilted his head upwards and watched images of celestial bodies hurtle towards him at the speed of light. Gravity kept him still and earthbound, but he could fall and fall forever. All he had to do was imagine...And he shook his head and, collecting his bags, moved towards the courtyard.

He passed through an archway and into a common courtyard shared with the other five honeycombed homes in the building. Off in a corner was a sputtering fountain inviting him to catch up with the private lives of his neighbours through tinkling gossip which only a disregarded fountain could know. In the water floated several water lilies opened to catch the cascading moonlight. An L-shaped patch of grass surrounded the fountain, from which clusters of mushrooms probed into a strange world with heads belying the size of the subterranean bodies which dwelt in the safety of the loam. If they had just kept their curiosity under control the creatures that prowled in the world of lightness and darkness would have never known—never minded—their existence, and would not eradicate them in the looming morning.

Johan took a few steps towards his door before stopping, acutely aware of how obtrusive he was in this silent world. His suitcase clattered over the pathway and echoed off the four walls in such a way that there could have been as many as ten of him dragging suitcases across a shattered plane of linoleum. So he picked his suitcase up and, with it secured under one arm, proceeded the rest of the way to his door. Taking one last look at the pristine sky that shimmered with hundreds of unfamiliar stars because there was less miasma of human filth in the air here, Johan set down his bags, dug out his key, and opened his door. He was meet by a silent, musty darkness, and he knew then that he truly was home.

It did not take him a long time to prepare for bed. In his pyjamas, Johan set about unsealing the second level of his home, removing insulation covers from the windows and wrenching a few panes of glass open despite their obstinance. And after all of the protests and struggles, he closed them back up again. He was weary after the fifth window but he was smiling nonetheless when he finally sat down on his bed and turned off his lamp. Ruby appeared on his shoulder and rubbed against the side of his face, too insubstantial to stir his soft locks but substantial enough to him to leave his heart warmed. Johan turned his head and smiled at her, then looked out his window at the sleeping world. All was barely illuminated in the swallow and silver starlight, and faintly terrestrial.

He blinked twice.

Satisfied and sure that his pupils had dilated, he took Ruby from his shoulder and placed her on his lap. She responded with a cry and then lifted her tail in the air. He looked at it and, through the orb's vivid red colouration, saw with an icy clarity the firmament for what it really was—still stars, still planets, tips of light which had yet to reach the earth, swirls and ribbons, the solar winds without their atmospheric colouration, instead a uniform red as they quivered around earth as they passed on their unplanned journey..

After gazing at the heavens for some fifteen minutes, Johan laid down and Ruby climbed onto his head. He got under the covers. There was a musty scent heavy in the layers of linen, and he was warm. He closed his eyes and a gentle black vapour curled around him, and he felt himself moving, and then he was gone away from himself and into a wide sleep.

--

Borne upon a wave, he floated through an opaque world. It was unfurling—the wave—and rose and fell not like a wave should but instead as it willed. Though he thought about trying to control it, the wave remained unresponsive to the will of its passenger. At the very least, he was comforted and lulled by the undeniable inkling that he would not drown.

As he road he was brought to a place where the water became shadow and the shadow became light. From the light sluiced a great glare that blinded him so that all he saw was shadow. When the shadows finally resolved—his retinas no longer burning—he was in the same place, but the light was tame and dull—gray, dun, muddled—the world was mild to him now.

—_What is it that I'm trying to see?_

He—he actually _could_ think!— turned onto what he believed was his back. The wave was gone but he was still floating, or so he thought because the light all around him seemed so far away. There was a great expanse, he realised, and it was all his because he was the only one there. If he were to cry, sneeze, cough, shout, whisper, murmur, or breathe it would continue on forever, never resounding, for there was nothing to echo against.

All of this was his and he wanted none of it because all of it was nothing (and it was nothing of what he wanted). The light was playing tricks, making the void seem like something, trying to entice him with hollow promises thinner than an exquisite layer of dew.

This nothingness was not what he wanted. He would give this tranquil infinity up just for a thrice with the only thing that he truly wanted.

--

In the morning he woke to find Ruby and Amethyst Cat curled up at his feet, and Emerald Turtle sat withdrawn in its shell to his immediate left. So big was the turtle that Johan could see it in his peripheral vision when his eyes were glued to the ceiling. Instead of immediately moving, he spent some time lying still and searching for patterns in the static texture of the ceiling. Several times he saw a face, a few times he saw animals, and most of the time he saw copious amounts of nothing.

It was Ruby who first broke the calm. Upon waking up she darted up the bed, disturbing Amethyst Cat, startling Johan, and ultimately settling in the hollow of Johan's neck. Amethyst Cat stirred and sat up. She took a moment to stretch languidly before prowling further up the bed and making eye contact with Johan. Emerald Turtle remained inside his shell, seemingly asleep.

"Good morning, Johan. It's been such a long time since you've slept so soundly," Amethyst Cat greeted as she curled up again.

"Yeah, huh? I haven't felt this rested for a while. Home does that to you," Johan responded with an air that suggested he was a sage in such matters.

"Perhaps, but I think it is more complicated than that."

"Oh, really?" Johan asked, his eyes lightened by something akin to amusement. "Pray tell, what else could hinder a good night's sleep?"

"Well, one thing is your cell phone is shut off. Second, the air is much clearer here. It doesn't take half your energy to breath," she stated deftly.

"And you have chosen your sheets," came Emerald Turtle's addition to the conversation from within the recess of his shell. He did not come out.

"What has that got to do with it?" Amethyst asked.

"Why, everything," Emerald Turtle replied. All three waited for an elaboration, but were given only silence.

Shrugging, Johan brought a hand to his shoulder to hold Ruby in her place as he sat up. "I see your point...points, that is, huh? Anyway, you're both right. In any case, I hope everyone else got a good night's rest." From the recesses of his mind and soul sluiced an uplifting warmth in response. "I'm glad." He smiled warmly as he got out of bed and stretched. Then, he made his way to the stairs.

When Johan got to the first floor he turned left and walked towards the kitchen, noting how cold the wood floor was against his feet despite his socks. Here, Amethyst Cat, who had followed him from his bedroom and opted not to make any comments, disappeared. Johan then realized that there could be no food in his kitchen as no one had been here for several years. He was halfway through his livingroom and faced with a stomach ready to rebel.

A grandfather clocked chimed, announcing eight forty-five.

"Well, that's no good, eh, Ruby? Haha, what to do, what to do...Maybe I should go next door and ask for something to eat. I can pay them of course, but they'd probably insist on giving it to me for free. But then I'll have to join them for breakfast." Johan made a face. "And since I haven't even showered, will there be time to clean up and get there before it's all gone...?"

Ruby looked blankly at Johan.

"Haha, I'm in quite a fix! Maybe I should just go out and buy something. But by that time it would be very close to noon. So I should skip breakfast altogether, then?" he breathed.

Taking a moment to think, Johan cupped his chin in his hand. His brow furrowed. Then he looked at Ruby and a firecracker went off in his mind, an idea that should have been so clear to him "Say, you could go and borrow some food from the neighbours. Then when I pay them back, I can do it in my own time."

"_Ruu._"

"Right. How would I know how much to pay them? And they would wonder why I was paying them. Bad idea. I'll just go and get ready and...get lunch," Johan finally reasoned, finally coming to a conclusion through his addled speech. So he turned on his heel and set out to climb his stairs.

By the time he was ready (showered, shaved, and clothed) his stomach was trying in vain to digest itself. Several times it growled at him, and he imagined that maybe his stomach_ did_ have it's own mind, as well as a separate soul and (very powerful) will. Briefly, he wondered why his hunger was not a more furtive beast.

Johan set out for the grocery store at ten, parting from the foodless house with an eager vigour. While passing through the courtyard he noted that the white mushrooms were gone, and that the fountain seemed much more quiet and displaced, for the water lilies had lost their luster and were now tiny white buds studding green circular leaves, and the whisper of the water not longer carried to his ears. The four beige walls had a soft luminosity to them in the sunlight, and two children chased after a ball as a third child sat on a threshold ticking off a score with a stick of charcoal on a crumpled piece of paper. He wondered if maybe these children played Duel Monsters, and was answered by the sight of a Watapon floating behind the score-keeping child's arm. Johan smiled to himself as he turned out onto the sidewalk and, with his face and body warmed by the pale yellow sun, started towards the local grocery store.

He decided that of this trip he would make a mini journey. Everyone he passed had a story, six thousand stories in total in this town. By the time he arrived home with he would know at least two of them. With such as his goal, he smiled brilliantly at the people who, upon recognising him, greeted him as he passed. He struck up conversation with many people, learning so much of what had happened when he was gone, learning so much of what people thought of him and how much they admired him, but learning so little of their personal lives. The closest he got to breaking beneath the social surface and encountering a naked soul was when a woman informed him that her grandfather, the oldest fisherman of the town, had passed away a few weeks ago. Johan offered his condolences, and the woman accepted them with a noncommital nod and thanks. Apparently she had become so jaded to superficial sympathy that she had lost the ability to appreciate that which was sincere. Several meeting and equivocal greetings ("Hey, Rainbow boy!") later, he was finally within a block of his destination.

A smell assaulted him then, for the blue sea was only a half of a mile away. The docks that were now empty would be filled upon nightfall, when the fishermen returned with their day's catch. Upon their arrival they would unload their catch—mountains of iridescent fish that stared at the fishermen with lifeless eyes that held a vast emptiness encapsulating the secret regrets they had silently tried to share as they died— effectively bringing with them a formidable stench that got to even the most hardened of them.

To Johan, like to so many others who hardly knew better, the sea looked harmless, rolling gently and coruscating in the morning sun. Hard to believe that such a thing could produce such smells and effluence.

When he passed the first of the large windows of the grocery store, Johan stopped for a moment and turned to look at his smooth, mirrored image. He brought a hand to his chest and held his breath. If he squinted hard enough—blurred the colours and contours and truths—he might have seen someone else (and secretly revelled in the fact that it _could_ have been someone else). With such an inconsequential effort, he could see that person...

And when he realized that he was being watched surreptitiously by a curious boy from inside the store, Johan fumbled around in his pockets for a cell phone he had purposefully left at home. Huffing, he ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. He affected exasperation and said "Forgot the damned thing at home! Figures!"

A passing woman gave him a wary glance.

He gulped, had not meant for the language to be heard by anyone but the boy, slightly embarrassed but not really that bothered. Things like that happen, after all. When the woman had disappeared around the corner he hustled into the store before anything else befell him, or his stomach succeeded in digesting itself.

(Or before he tried to create another private optical illusion.)


	2. The Apprentice, A Film of Dust

The dreaded OC appears here. I pray that the story isn't moving too quickly and yeah... But it will all slow down soon enough.

I hope that you may enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

_Disclaimer:_ _I don't own _Yuugioh! DM GX.

* * *

Johan was not usually indecisive: usually he could come to a decision about quick enough. Even when he was younger he was more decisive than adults. But when his cell phone started ringing and the caller I.D. displayed the name "Travis Webber", he was torn between answering and letting it go to voicemail. His manager had promised him that he would not call unless it was absolutely urgent. Johan, who had arrived from the grocery store less than twenty minutes and just begun preparing lunch, could not imagine what possibly could have gone so wrong in less than thirty hours. So it was bad news.

And he did not want bad news. But he decided to answer anyway, because Travis was his manager and he owed the man his life regardless of if he liked it.

"Hello?" Johan answered, managing and even tone despite his apprehension.

"Andersen! What took you so long?" came back the answer, a deep male voice that suggested the person on the other line was well into his forties.

"Aha, misplaced my cell phone. Sorry."

"Eh, whatever. How have you been, my boy? Listen, I've got big, big news."

"News? So nothing horrible has happened?"

"Now why would you think that?" Travis asked, barely bothering to hide the edge in his voice.

"You said you would only call if it was an emergency."

"Well, there's no emergency. Instead, I needed to let you hear this—the deal I was working on, right? Well, I pushed, pushed, and pushed, and I got my star his newest platform. You are aware of what the apprentice programme is, correct?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I am," Johan answered. He felt his apprehension transmute into vague wonder. The apprentice programme was a gimmick the higher ups in the Pro Leagues had implemented last year and had yet to turn out more than minimal success, anything to justify its existence. A student fresh out of the Duel Academia school system would be picked up by a Pro and his sponsor and troop along with them for six months, an adequate amount of time to teach the neophyte the basics of the business and build a reputation that would (hopefully) attract their own sponsors.

"Of course you are. Every good pro knows what it is, so why wouldn't you? Well, I've got you your own apprentice, as you've probably gathered. She's a little thing just out of the main Duel Academia—Japanese through and through. You're linguistic skills really helped here, kid. A use for Japanese after all! Who knew?"

Johan soured, flinched, but keep his impulse to yell to himself. Yes, who knew? _Why_ know Japanese...?But he had maintained his knowledge of the language over the years. Why? For that person, perhaps... However, there were much more important things to figure out. "A she...? Of all the things, Travis, I don't think that I...I just...All of this is so sudden. When will I be meeting her? Let's start there."

"Let's see, what time is it there? Eleven? Twelve?"

"It's almost eleven."

"Ah, right. I'd say about...six hours then. Her plane left a while ago."

"What?" Johan nearly shouted in his shock. "Six hours? You think that I'm ready for something like this? This is suppose to my me time. I'm not ready to have another person here. And what makes you think there is somewhere for her to sleep?"

"She's a kid. She'll do fine on the sofa."

"...Travis...I..."

"Great, no objections? Well, I'll talk to you later. Be sure to call when she gets there. Oh, and have fun?"

"Wait, Travis! What's—?" But there was no one else on the line.

Exasperated, Johan sighed as he closed his cell phone and massaged his temples. Ruby appeared on the corner and looked up at him.

"What am I going to do? A total stranger is going to arrive on my doorstep in six hours. Ah...Travis, what I do for you...This is absolutely ridiculous. And yet I can't do anything. I'm at that man's mercy, and it ticks me off like you wouldn't believe."

"_Ruuu-bi-bi-ruu._"

Johan ran a hand through his hair until it was entangled in his celadon locks, and continued even then, pulling his scalp back until his fingers touched the nape of his neck. "I'm so screwed." Defeated, Johan slumped against the white kitchen wall and covered his eyes with his hands. From behind him a timer on the oven announced it was done preheating.

"And I don't even know the name of this obstacle."

–

At five in the evening, Johan went out and sat on his threshold with his hands folded in his lap. If it all was going to go down like this, the least he could do was make it a bit more pleasant. He imagined the girl arriving at the airport and totally lost. She would stumble around until she found the cabbies lined up in a neat row along the road outside and then she would stand around for a while, totally at a lost to what to next. After shivering and cursing Travis' name, she would either call someone on her cell phone or light a cigarette (one thing he remembered about his visits to Japan was how much people smoked—human-chimneys, he had dubbed them). Then, if Travis had been thinking, she would pull out a piece of paper with his address written on it. And then she would take it to the nearest cabbie. After haphazardly traversing the language and cultural barriers, she would hand it over and the cabbie would understand just enough; he would be use to dealing with foreigners, even if none of them were as clueless as this one.

A breeze blew and ruffled his bangs. Against the chill he instinctively drew his arms closer to his body. A flicker of colour and shadow—Johan looked up—a neighbour passing through the courtyard. They waved at him and he smiled.

Johan sighed, picking absently at invisible lint on his pants. His hands cupped his chin, his back slackened. Such trouble Travis caused for everyone around him. The man never took a moment to even consider what the consequences of his actions were. A perk of being so rich and important, maybe. Johan had never wanted to be overly rich or famous—a little bit of glory never hurt after all—but if he was like Travis, maybe he could change the paradigms so that situations like this never again occurred. To be responsible. He would set a precedent for sure.

And it would be his precedent. All he had to do was keep winning duels, even if all his wins over the years had yet to get him the dazzling mega-fame that the world associated with names like Manjoume "Thunder" Jun and Edo Phoenix. One day he would have to command his own resplendent light to blind the world with, like them, the phoenix and the strike of thunder. Maybe the Ultimate Gem God Rainbow, the bridge of all the world, could be that light for him. It only fit, did it not? To be the guiding light of the world was a worthy correlation with the bridge of the world.

So when he got to the top of the world his brilliant light would gallantly arc across the sky and be the bridge for them all. And perhaps it would be such a beacon that it could guide any one to their rightful home.

A soft string of noise nudged Johan from his thoughts, prompting him to lift his head and look around. His flitting eyes settled on an unfamiliar girl about a meter away from him, a respectable distance, but an impossible distance for her words to carry.

She spoke again: "Excuse me, sir?" Her Norwegian was garbled and heavily accented, but he managed to dissect the verbal mess and extract her words.

"Yes," Johan said slowly, purposefully, "can I help you?"

"Uh, yes. You are Andersen Johan, yes? Blue—teal—hair, your eyes are..." As she searched her mind for the word for "green", Johan stood up and offered her a sterling smile.

"You've come to the right place! I'm Johan Andersen, the one and only—the renowned—and proud—owner of the Gem Beasts and legendary Rainbow Dragon," he said in slick, smooth Japanese. He was surprised by how easily he remembered everything, and how different his voice sounded when he spoke the language. Hesitating, he was torn between extending his hand and bowing.

"Ah, Ander—Johan Andersen-san! It's an honour to meet you! Please be kind to me," she said quickly as she bowed. When she stood back up Johan got a good look at her grey eyes.

Johan returned the gesture with a bow as well, something that he had never done back at _that_ place. Amazing what time had done to him.

"Likewise. Now..." Johan looked to the side for a moment. "Where are your belongings? Don't tell me Travis sent you here with nothing."

"Everything is back on the sidewalk. I wasn't sure if this was the right place, so I wasn't sure if I should bring my things in or not..." She trailed off as she watched, stunned, as Johan made his way past her and to the archway. Snapping out of it, she ran after him and protested, "Ah come on, don't do that. I can manage it myself."

Johan turned on his heel and grinned. "It's not that big of a deal. Anyway, it'll be faster this way. Now hurry, there's some leftover dinner I saved for you inside."

"Ah, I...thank you, Andersen-san."

"Anytime. Now hurry up and give me a hand!"

"Right. Here..." And she complied, grabbing one of her three suitcases and trailing after Johan.

Johan, who had grabbed her valise bag and other two suitcases, went over the situation in his mind. So far so good. A bit soft-spoken and scatter-brained, but otherwise normal. He was glad, because with his experience at Duel Academia, it would not have surprised him if the apprentice had been a scaled humanoid with a hard on for Continuous Traps. A hyperbole bizarre for even Duel Academia, but then again Johan liked to have fun.

And still he did not know her name.

--

The thing that struck her the most about him was his eyes—liquid glass, for sure, crafted by the most careful and delicate hands, maybe by a nurturing angel that had all of eternity to spend on one eye so that it was immaculate. Maybe it had taken two eternities to make his eyes, and she would believe it easily if it were true.

And they were lucent—possessed a clarity which rivalled that of a pristine winter night and a hue of green somewhere between breathtaking and profound—shining with a burning desire for something completely beyond her realm of understanding.

–

Johan noted that she kept a good distance from him as he wordlessly led her upstairs. There was a spare room he had kept as a guestroom for a ludicrous reason. It was to this room that he led her and deposited her belongings. There was nothing remarkable about the room, but it was not in the least bit cold. Rather, it was quaint in its own way. The furniture: an armoire, a twin bed, a nightstand, several shelves nailed to the wall, and a padded chair set parallel to the window. The theme of the room was nondescript, with white and pastels the colour scheme. Several rococo paintings adorned the walls, and the light walls complimented the dark wood of the floor in such a way. The room was simple, but the care in the choice and arrangement of furniture was evident. The care was also evident the cleanliness of everything—a missing film of dust.

The girl took a moment to take in her surroundings.

"The washroom is the first door down the hall. Knock before you enter. I know it's not much and all. If you're too offended, you could always sleep on the couch. Or outside—there's a great view of the stars and Aurora."

"Offended? No, everything is lovely," she said, her sincerity reassuring him. "It's a lot different from the rest of the house, yes? And here..." She wandered over to one of the several shelves protruding from the white walls and gazed intently at a photograph. "Who is this person?"

Johan joined her, though he knew immediately who it was she was asking about. The rest of the house was absent of pictures of anyone but him; this singular photograph was of Juudai and him standing outside of the Osiris Red dorm, together for a single moment out of hundred of billions of many small moments that made the hundred of minutes in one day.

"That's Juudai Yuuki," Johan said quietly.

"Ah, I see. And the Osiris Red dorm...not many Osiris' when I was at school...Was there something special about him? I mean, he's the only other person besides yourself that you have a photo of in this house..."

"You're quite observant, aren't you? That's a good quality in a duellist," Johan said with a slight smile. "As for Juudai. Yeah, there's something very special about him. He was a good, good man."

"'Was'...?"

"Well...I haven't seen him in nearly eight years. Nobody has, actually. The others think he might be dead, but I think he's still alive. Probably doing something really, really important right now. That's Juudai, though: moving like a whirlwind through your life." Johan was smiling brilliantly by the time he finished, and he was so wistful that her heart nearly ached.

"Ah, I see. He sounds like a wonderful person."

Johan, grinning, turned to face her.

"You don't know the half of i—" He cut himself off when he noticed a prominent figure floating at her side. Taken, he recognised the spirit as Water Magician.

"Andersen-san? Why do you look like that? Are you all right...?"

"Spirits," Johan whispered, his eyes flitting from her to the Water Magician hovering behind her. Then, the entity disappeared.

"Spirits?" she echoed dumbly.

"Yes, spirits. Juudai, he had a special power. He could do things with the spirits that no one else could. Almost like he could connect them. That's why I think he left—to help other with his power."

"Connect people with the duel spirit? Ha ha! Really, such bizarre things you say!"

Johan flinched. "Weird? I'm being serious."

"No, no, really. Duel spirits? That's a good one. I've heard of such a juvenile concept back at school. There were two people who claimed they could see the 'spirits'. It was unsettling, however, as they always crooned things like 'stay healthy' and 'do your best!' to their cards and holograms. Such nonsense! I've also heard that you had some sort of thing for your platform—or was it your 'message'? In any case, nonsense."

Johan, who had remained quiet during her little speech, frowned at her. Not even an idea of where to start. What would he do, then, with such a person? Such a person was to be his apprentice for six months? Sighing, Johan put a hand on his forehead and shook his head. "That's quite a strong opinion you've got there. Who would have imagined!"

"Excuse me?"

"You're just so quiet—so mild—is all. Well, it's not important, really. Let's get you something to eat."

"Ah...Sure, let's do that." Wary now, she followed after Johan at an even greater distance.

He was unfazed, however.

–

"So," she said, twirling her silver spoon in the air to catch the rays of light filtering into the dining room, "what is my first lesson?" She punctuated her question by placing her spoon down and looking intently at Johan, across the table.

Johan, who had been taking a long drink from his coffee, set his cup down and swallowed, intentionally creating those few seconds of silence. "Lesson?"

"You know. Your first lesson to me as my teacher. Webber-san said to expect to learn from you the moment I met with you. Said something about basking in your brilliance would immediately enlighten me to the secret world of Duel Monsters," she finished with a dull look on her face, as though repeating his words had brought a certain weariness to her.

Ignoring the comment by his manager, Johan easily answered "Ah, I see. When I come up with it."

"When you come up with it? I...Something such as that...is that acceptable?"

He shrugged. "Not my place to say. Besides, I wasn't planning on having an 'apprentice' on my 'vacation time.' Frankly, I'm still reeling over your very presence here. Let me absorb it all first. Then talk to me about your lessons. In the meantime, why not talk about something more pleasant?" Johan asked, smiling, his tone overwhelming pleasant. "Like say, what's your favourite colour?"

"Favourite colour?" she parroted. She made a face, then said "maybe brown. Or blue. Like the ocean back at home on a good day. Though maybe it was more grey than blue? Maybe grey-blue then."

"You know that the ocean really isn't blue, right?" Johan asked with amusement playing in his eyes. Now that he had somewhere to send the conversation, he would shove it there with all his wit. "It's all just a trick of the light."

"Yes, of course. All of it has to do with the absorption of colours. And wavelengths. Same reason the sky is blue. Tell me, Andersen-san, what is your favourite colour?"

"Well...I don't have a favourite colour. That would be unfair..." With one hand in the air, Johan paused to consider the importance of his response. Lie or have her think he was crazy? Not that he cared, either way. What was her opinion to him?

Too long, however: "Unfair? I don't understand what you mean."

"It would be unfair to my family. How could I chose one over the other?"

"Family...? The...Gem Beasts...? Well you know, there are more than just those seven colours in the world."

"True, but I can't show any favouritism, you know?"

She nodded vaguely.

"Ah, there it is!"

"Pardon...? There is what?" Here she, who had been afraid to look completely look at him throughout the meal, stared directly at Johan, her doubt of his sanity thinly concealed beneath her peeling varnish of social etiquette.

"Thelesson of yours. Lesson one: never show favouritism among your cards! They're all equally valuable and important."

"Right. I'll do myself good and remember that. Love my cards equally and...such. Just as long as I don't have to offer my life blood to their spirits."

"I promise you won't have to," Johan said flatly, not caring to address her unnerving sarcasm. He was too tired to deal with it, anyway.


	3. The Mentor, An Empty Echo

Chapter three, huh. All right, so that puts me closer to the end...sort of. Anyway, this chapter is a bit heavier than the previous two. I am truly sorry if the poor reasoning and presentation leaves you even the least bit lost.

Disclaimer:_ I do not own any of the situations presented here, nor products, or characters unless stated otherwise. No copyright infringement is intended; this is a work by a fan for the fans, and I stand to gain nothing from this story albeit the thrill of writing it._

* * *

There was a feeble rustling. A distant gurgling. Water washing over something...stone? Existence was so very heavy. And the need to get up, not nearly as urgent as the want to stay down.

When Johan was halfway aware of the world he breathed a deep breath and exhaled just a little more than he had taken in. Gathering his strength, he flicked one eye only to close it quickly. The soft twilight had been too much for him. It had been a long night, after all. The gurgling was back again, and he recognised it as water passing through the pipes. His curtains fluttered on an insignificant breeze. They were white and of hand-stitched Belgian lace. Such painstaking beauty always with a staggering price tag. They had been given to him by someone...maybe someone important, but he could not remember who or why. And it bugged him slightly, because a gift-giver should never be forgotten.

The quiet patter of feet drew his attention to his closed door. Some one was in his hallway.

Then he remembered; the girl, his apprentice. Or the obstacle.

Awareness swirled and expanded and then he was ready to get up, but he was reluctant to surrender the simple warmth of his bed. Here everything made sense, he could sleep forever. Out there in the cold world anything could happen, he had to be awake. His sheets were white. The world was splashed in colour.

Yawning, Johan sat up and stretched. Ruby appeared on his lap and chirped before trotting over to his pillow and curling up, suggesting that he lay back down and sleep. It was dawn, but he did not need to be up yet. He could sleep in all day if he wanted to.

"No thanks, Ruby. The rest of the house is up, so I may as well be."

"_Rubi-bi-bi._"

"This house. Not the household. I'll let everyone else sleep. I need to deal with _her._ You know, my apprentice. The one who outright denies your existence. But don't worry; I'll have her believing in you in no time! That's my goal, after all. If I can't get her to see the truth, then I may as well quit this—even quit Duel Monsters." Johan finished with a flourish of his hand. He was satisfied with himself but, upon seeing how alerted Ruby looked, continued, "I'll quit the pro leagues, that is. I'll still play a duel here and there, of course! And I'd never give you guys up. No, I'd never break the family apart."

Ruby relaxed now, and then sat up.

"_Rubi._"

"And I love you, all of you," Johan crooned to his Duel Spirit. "Always will, too. Even if I lose you."

--

Though she had been up for a while longer than him, she was half-awake when Johan, dressed in a blue dress shirt and gray slacks, came downstairs and found her sitting straight-up on his couch, busy rapidly pressing the clear, gel-padded buttons on her phone. She remained oblivious to his presence even as he brushed past her on his way to the kitchen. Johan stood in the middle of his kitchen a moment, trying to figure out what to have for breakfast. Toast was an option, but that seemed too bland. He had a bit of pancake batter, but did not know if the girl liked pancakes or not. So, with a vague grin, he settled on fruit. He picked up two apples from a bowl on the counter and drifted back to his livingroom, taking time to watch the girl who was still absorbed in her own secluded, digital world.

After a few more moments of quiet observation , Johan bent over and held out one of the apples so that it was directly between her phone and face. She eyed the red fruit before looking up at him, questioning.

"It's breakfast," Johan said deftly and, for emphasis, he shook his extended hand a bit. "Come on, take it. I didn't poison it or anything."

Reluctantly she took the fruit from him and placed it, along with her phone, in her lap. "Has it been washed?" she asked.

Insouciant, Johan said "no, but I don't think it's that dirty."

"They never wash these in the store, you know, right? Any dirt or disease it came in contact with during its shipment is still on the skin."

"Well, yeah, but disease? And how much dirt could it have come into contact with?" Johan asked, plainly incredulous. He had not meant to be offensive, but was genuinely befuddled as he had never given the cleanliness of his apples that much thought.

The girl shrugged and sighed, saying "I don't know about you, but I prefer my food clean. If I may, may I please use your kitchen sink?"

"Go ahead. It's all yours," Johan said with a stupid grin as she stood up and walked past him. When she was in the other room he took a bite out of his apple, enjoying the succulent sweetness, thinking for a moment that this fruit, with such a delectable saccharinity, had to be ambrosia. "I wonder what's up with her, anyway. Maybe she's just too observant for her own good."

In response, Ruby appeared on his shoulder and looked off into the kitchen, like Johan.

"_Rubi-ruu_."

"Haha, yeah. It's a quality of a good duellist for sure, but it's more like a sign that they have potential. The truly good duellist has it under control," Johan said softly, "like me—"

"Uh...who're you talking to?" came her quiet voice. She was standing about a metre away from him, trying her best to be polite, but staring at him like had he had just exploded into flames.

"Talking to my family, of course. Talking with your cards is a great way to fortify your bond with them. Just remember, though, the first lesson."

"Never show...favouritism..." she trailed off, the whole while gazing to the side.

"Yes, but come on—show a bit more enthusiasm!" Johan demanded between two bites of his apple.

"I'm too never show favouritism among my cards, but love them all equally," she repeated dully, as though all her energy had been depleted. Though, to Johan, it seemed that he had that effect on her in default.

"Right, so you remember after all! Good job, apprentice."

She made a face, but quickly caught herself, saying softly "Andersen-san, my name is Yuuko Esaki. Didn't Webber-san tell you?"

"Nope, he didn't, actually. He just told me I had an apprentice and hardly any information beyond that. I think I was lucky to find out that you were a Japanese female." Johan crossed his arms when he was finished speaking, tilting his head as well.

"This was so very poorly planned, wasn't it?" she asked with a hint of annoyance staining her otherwise flat tone. "Sure it's nice to have such a famous person as a mentor, but I don't think it's worth the price. Coming to Norway, encroaching on your personal time? This is all ridiculous. I shouldn't be here."

"Ah, come on, don't be like that, Esaki." Johan uncrossed his arms and took a step towards her, his eyes softening. "We'll just do the best we can with it. Two people working together can get through anything, even these next six months. Sure you're here early, but we'll manage. In fact, why don't we use that to our advantage? We'll spend some time as friends for the first week—before work begins—and maybe even beat the record of failure this programme has had. A glorious victory like that is worth a shot, right?"

Esaki shook her head and took a few steps backwards. When she tried to look at Johan her eyes drifted away to the wall behind him. "I-I don't know. I don't know you well enough to say if we can be 'friends'—I'd rather we not bother, actually. You're my mentor, and I'm an apprentice, almost a secretary. That's all I want."

"Very well, then. I will not pressure you to do anything you are not comfortable with, Esaki." Johan smiled at her, and she felt the stirrings of guilt so acutely that she was nauseous. "Right, well, I've got an errand to run. I want you to stay here until I get back. You can go outside if you want, but just be aware that if the neighbours see you they will want to talk with you. The kids might even want to play with you if they see you."

"Ah...Right, be careful, then. How long do you think you'll be...?"

Frowning, Johan brought a hand to the nape of his neck and looked to the side. "As long as it takes me."

"Ah, all right. See you," Esaki said gently.

"Mmm. See you," Johan said as he turned on his heel. He exited the room and made his way to the stairwell.

Alone now, Esaki sat down on the couch and rubbed her thumbs on her apple absently. Overhead several opaque globules were hung on fishing wire, casting a panoply of formless patches of light onto the walls as they revolved on their own tiny axises. She whispered something to herself, and then took a bite of breakfast.

--

Johan returned four hours later. He had two parcels and an aluminium foil bag, the latter containing lunch for two. Not to his surprised he found that no one was downstairs. So he called "I'm back!" and expected no response. He made his way to the kitchen to deposit the food on the corner and then went upstairs. The two parcels he placed on his desk were bound tightly with fraying chenille and covered in postage stickers. One was roughly the same size as his hand, and the other was no larger than a shoebox.

"I had to pick these things up," Johan said, aware of Esaki standing quiescently in his doorway. "I also stopped to get lunch. It's downstairs on the counter if you want to go ahead and eat right now."

"And you?" she asked.

"I'll be down in a bit. I have to put these away," Johan said with his back still turned.

"May I ask what are in those packages?"

"You already have."

"Ah, right...I...Would you tell me what are in those packages?"

"Just some Duel Monsters cards and clothes," Johan answered simply. Here he turned around and smiled at her. "Just junk, really. But I couldn't let it rot away anymore in my post box.

"Thank you...Right, well, I'll get going now..." And she turned to leave, but was stopped by Johan speaking to her.

"Say, Esaki, you use a WATER deck, right?"

"Yes, I do. How did you know...?"

Johan winked. "A little magician told me." He knew the irony was lost on her, but was determined that one day she would get it. "And is there a special card in your deck? Particularly, what does Water Magician mean to you?"

"I..." she trailed off, looking extremely disarmed and confused. Vulnerable, almost. Then she took a step backwards and looked ready to reach out and support herself against the doorway. "That card was given to me as a present by a dear friend. They said to me 'Esaki-chan, take this and use it constantly because I know that when you're a big, busy star you'll forget me otherwise.' But the card didn't fit the synergy of my old deck, so I made a new one for it."

Johan, still smiling warmly, asked gently "And this new deck of yours, is it more powerful than your older deck?"

"It is, even though it shouldn't be. The thing is, the cards are generally weaker and the amount of useable monsters and traps and spells is horribly out of proportion, but I seem to still have a higher ratio of wins and loses with it. Still, I haven't used the deck too much, so I can't say for sure that most of the wins aren't dumb luck. But Andersen-san, how did you know?"

"I told you, didn't I? Now, may I see your deck?"

She brightened immediately at the suggestion. "Right, I'll go and get it." Almost too eager to leave, she was gone without another word.

Johan turned back to look at the parcels, and Ruby appeared on his desk. She circled the two parcels and came to rest upon the smaller one, looking at it as if it contained something dear to her. Johan shooed her away from it with a light tap of his hand, picked it up, and examined its contours in the afternoon light. Without a further thought he pulled open a drawer and stuff the two parcels in and closed it. Then he walked over to his bed and bent over to reach under and retrieve his old Duel Disk, the one issued to him by North School eleven years ago. He admired it for a few moments before slipping in on his left hand, mildly surprised that it still fit. It was in functioning order, of course, as it had done little over the years save collect dust under the bed in his spare room.

It gleamed in the light now, for he had cleaned it yesterday when he had been making finally adjustments to the room for his then nameless apprentice. In truth, not much had to be changed, for he had spent some time on his first night home dusting and straightening up for guest he figured would never come. And yet here he was now, with a "guest" apprentice who was more or less someone he could get along with. While her very firm views of the spiritual side of Duel Monsters had been rather off-putting, they had ignited in him a certain passion that he rarely felt outside of a duel. Of course he was passionate about his goal, but it was hardly ever so close to home. Now, for six months, he was going to live with the one he was working to awaken, and it was that which stirred such a particular passion in his soul.

"Andersen-san," Esaki said from the doorway, "here's my deck. Whenever you want..."

"Bring it here," Johan said. He turned around, waiting for her to come in. It was when she timidly entered with her eyes averted did he realise that she had socks on, and that her footsteps made no sound. Whether or not that intentional on her part, he could not say.

Esaki handed her deck to Johan with the first card, Aqua Chorus, face-up. He took the cards from her and began to look through it with great care and attention. When he came upon a copy of Water Magician, he smiled. He took the card in one hand and was going to show it to her, but stopped when he realised that the next card in the deck was another copy of Water Magician. Picking that card up as well, he came upon a third copy, which, unlike the other two, showed signs of use and abuse; the gloss was no longer slick and over the card lore was written (in Roman letters and Arabic numerals) **Too Human 489**. Johan took the written-on copy of Water Magician in one hand and the rest of the deck in his other.

"Why did you write on this card?"

"I didn't. The one who gave me that did. It's a citation for a maxim that they thought applied to me: 'People who comprehend a matter in all its depth seldom remain true to it forever. For they have brought its depth to the light; and then there is always much to see about it that is bad.' It was written by one of the men responsible for destroying the morality of the twentieth century."

"Well, that's not surprising that he did something like that, considering how cynical he is—as well as incorrect. People seeing flaws with something they know well? Rather, the more people love something, the more attached to it they become."

"I don't know. But please, give me back that card," she said softly.

But Johan only looked at her, his eyes clearly looking for something. Then he placed Water Magician back in the deck and held it behind his back. "First, answer me something: if I had taken this card from you when you first got it, would you want it back? Be honest, now."

Esaki faltered. "You'd know it if I lied to you, wouldn't you? Well...I don't think I would've. At first I wondered why I had been given such a piece of junk. The card is very old, you know. See, the Attack and Defence Points are even in a box next to the card lore. Still, I kept it because I didn't want to be rude. Then I graduated, and was glad I had kept it because it had grown on me when I wasn't looking." She smiled slightly, tilting her head. "Now I, two months later, don't know where I would be without it. The whole way here I kept thinking about the card and who gave it to me, and how they would feel when they learnt that I really could possibly make it big. Heh, partnered with the Johan Andersen. They'll probably have quite a fit when they find out where I am today." As she finished, the spirit of Water Magician appeared beside her, looking disconsolate. Water Magician, which had not acknowledged Johan's presence before, glanced at the teal-haired man who, in turn, nodded almost unperceivable, before gazing at Esaki again.

Finding her voice again, Esaki continued, "though, I think it was a good choice on their part. And if it was not done on purpose, than it's got to be one of the greatest ironies of all. On Water Magician chest is an ankh—the Egyptian symbol for life—yes? It's just that I've gotten so tired of life. It all seems to pointless now. Sure, it made sense when I was in school—go to the pro leagues, work, make money, travel the world, and all that. But I had never thought about the hardest part to do, which is exist. Perhaps I've become disillusioned, but I just can't find the point anymore, let alone any. If this how the rest of my adult life is doing to be, then I don't want to keep living."

Johan was quiet, calm, absorbing it all in. He immediately recognised her symptoms as those not of tiredness—or detachment—but as something completely opposite, as restlessness, a desire to live of such a magnitude that she could no longer comprehend it Somewhere along the way she had realised that there was more than what she saw, and had begun looking for something. Whatever that something was, she could not find it, and the desire only grew until it consumed her, leaving her restless and lost, sure that it could not be found and thus without a destination. She was a danger to herself now as she drifted along through life with so much pent-up energy and disappointment. When she finally had a catharsis, it would not be a pretty sight for those around her.

"I think I know what your problem is," Johan began coolly. "You lost your faith."

"My faith? What faith?" Esaki queried with a twisted brow.

"Your faith in what you were looking for. Now that you're convinced that the real answer cannot be found, you've settled for one you have made up—'nothing'. So here you are know, without something to believe in. You're an empty vessel, and that's dangerous. You've become vulnerable to being caught up in something that is much larger than yourself. For instance, loneliness. It's much more profound and consuming that people realise."

"So what is that you suggest I do, then, if you know so much?"

"Why, it's simple: find something to believe in," Johan said, smiling.

"I believe in plenty. I believe in reality, the moment, and myself."

"You believe in the superficial," Johan said quietly. "Belief in yourself is a good thing, of course, but people need to believe in something greater than themselves to be able get by. Whether that is a mission, a massive effort, a society, an idea, or God, it's still something. And that belief is a correlation with a healthy belief in themselves, for when people believe in something greater they see themselves as part of it."

Esaki stood painfully still. Then she shifted her weight, affording Johan a view of the hallway, where the walls were dappled with bands of afternoon light.

She had stopped looking at the floor some time ago and was now staring at Johan who, unabashedly, stared right back at her, magnetic green challenging dull grey. "A belief in something greater than myself?" she questioned, her voice quavering. "All right then, I believe in the reality I see. You said that such a concept was 'superficial', but it's hardly that. Reality is the result of the efforts and lives of countless people, all their experiences summoned up in those precious moments which you only have to open your eyes to see. That's what I 'believe' in, Andersen-san."

"It's good enough," Johan said, flicking his finger. "I'm sure you'll get it one day. Something'll happen and you'll learn to believe in the things that are really there."

A great silence opened then, and Esaki felt herself staring at the cleft of her emotions, her will to challenge him splitting apart from her beliefs. Another who had claimed to be as sure about their views would challenge that man and his notion of reality, but she found herself stayed by the weight of detachment. There was no point in challenging someone so quietly fervent in their beliefs, let alone—dare it be said—_optimistic._ Though it was not overflowing from his being, it was evident in his persistence. Men did not so freely and wholly stand behind causes that they did not feel were undeniably right, after all.

The silence persisted. Johan waited for her to say something, shifting his weight between his feet and aware that lunch was growing colder with each moment they stood around and exchanged languid looks. He had a feeling that something was going to happen, but began to wonder if maybe it was less of a premonition and more of a hopeful whim. Though that could not be right, since he really did want her to respond. Not for the sake of argument, but for the edification of debate. Two very separate things, of course.

In the end, it was he who moved. With a sigh, Johan brought his hands from behind his back and, with one last look at Water Magician, handed Esaki her deck. She took it wordlessly, focussing instead on the top card.

"You know, you should look out for that card," Johan said as he passed by her on his way to the door. "It's got some really strong feelings for you. I wouldn't be surprised if they manifested one day. And that's your second lesson."

Esaki turned around and watched him until he was around the corner.. She listened to his footsteps, overwhelmingly loud in the calm seeped into the rest of the house.

"Are you saying...," Esaki breathed, "that I should believe in your duel spirits? I don't know about you, Andersen-san, but I can only believe in what I can see."

And that, of course, was one of the glaring differences between the aesthetic apprentice and the esoteric mentor.


	4. Transient, A Rotten Pulpit

All right, so this is the halfway point. Ahaha, just as a heads up, all OC's in the story are created merely to fill roles in the story. No one here is based off of people I know, and any resemblance is merely coincidental. So yeah, just a heads up. I have assigned genders to the Gem Beasts just to make things easier. Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: _I do not own _Yu-Gi-Oh! DM GX _or any of its characters. This is merely a work by a fan for the fans and absolutely no copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

Lying down, Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus allowed himself to breath deeply for the first time in six days. Cool relief curled over his mind as he looked to the sky, watching the wane blotch of light struggle to reach its rays to the crystalline landscape below. Finally, they were free of the harsh radiance of that light which had flared so brilliantly when Johan was at home and spending too much time reminiscing about times gone by. Johan had begun to doubt himself again—the first time in several years—and it had only escalated from there over the course of the week.

Now they, the Gem Beast family, slept peacefully in the soul of the head of their household as said head sat hurtling through the night on his way to the site of his next duel. Though they all had become use to aeroplane rides and learnt how to sleep even through the most jolting turbulence, Sapphire Pegasus was on edge. His unease was due to the new member in Johan's company, the apprentice of his whom was to be with him for the next six months. The Gem Beast was not overly averse to the girl, but there was something about her that set his nerves simmering. Though, Sapphire Pegasus guessed that it had to do a great deal with her plain disbelief in anything beyond the realm of the physical, and, by extension, him and the rest of his family.

Johan moved now, shifting on his side as he woke up. Through the darkened, nebulous recesses of his mind ran the stirring of thought, alerting Sapphire Pegasus to his wonder about the current time. There was a quick glance at a watch, a resettling, and then a quieting of thoughts.

Being residents of Johan's soul gave the Gem Beasts access to all his thoughts and feelings, as well as his subconscious if they so desired. Conversely, the Gem Beasts could hide their emotions and will from Johan, but it was unanimous among them to reveal such things to Johan save on those rare occasions when they pulled a prank on him. Such connections made for an exquisite intimacy that served to only bring them all that much closer, giving them a level of closeness beyond that of any normal family. Also, if they so chose, Johan could have a private conversation with himself at any time, for any reason.

Sapphire Pegasus perked his ears, tilting his head over his shoulder—a sublime roar rang over the towering crystal crags. The Ultimate Gem God Rainbow Dragon circled overhead, blocking out the feeble light several times, before settling on one of the towering juts. The great creature held constant vigil in Johan's soul. Unlike the rest of the Gem Beast family it behaved as a separate entity from Johan, lacking the same profound bonds with its master. For all any of them knew, the dragon could depart from the domain of Johan's soul and reside elsewhere. But it did not. And that, Sapphire Pegasus figured, said something about the dedication of Rainbow Dragon, which could have easily have been an intractable beast.

"You're uneasy, aren't you?" came a low voice from behind. In a thrice Sapphire Pegasus stood up and whipped around, his eyes landing upon a white saber-tooth tiger bejewelled with topaz, the Gem Beast Topaz Tiger.

"It looks like I have my answer," Topaz Tiger concluded as he eyed Sapphire Pegasus. "Such a shame, too. This might be the last peaceful night for a long time."

"Maybe," Sapphire answered, "or maybe not. It's too soon to say."

"I think that I should have said those words. You're the one who is overly anxious about the girl. You should relax—Johan will work on it. For the moment, it is quite literally out of our hands, you know."

"Come whatever may, I still can't get past a slight wariness. Something about her just doesn't...seem right. Something is missing."

Topaz Tiger stretched languidly, replying, "And what do you think is missing? Aside from her disbelief and restlessness, she seems to be altogether."

"It seems to me that a vital piece of her soul is missing, like something is nearly dead in her. Maybe she never will believe because she managed to completely snuff that aspect of her soul."

"Perhaps that is, but we can't know for sure. Anyway, there's something more important," Topaz Tiger said, hesitating on broaching the topic of Johan's health.

"Johan will be fine"—Sapphire tilted his head upwards—"the light has lost its sway. I don't think it was any one thing that was hurting him, but a concert of so much."

"Ah, that's it then?" Topaz Tiger questioned carefully.

"Yeah, that's it. Things will be normal again. Or as normal as things ever are for Johan," Sapphire Pegasus said with a subtly wry tone. Here Topaz Tiger nodded before lying against a wall of crystal. The two Gem Beasts exchanged glances before Sapphire laid down as well, curling his wings around his body and settling his head in the white plumage.

Eventually, they found sleep under the tireless gaze of Rainbow Dragon.

--

When Sapphire Pegasus woke he was assailed by vivid images, seeing Johan's dream exactly as he dreamt it. A lucid panorama filled his entire vision; the pristine sky met with pristine water so that the two blue bodies bled into one another and it was impossible for the eye to tell up from down. No coast existed as far as he could tell, and a singular rock which protruded from the water became lost in its own reflection, by no means a singular rock anymore.

—_Am I looking for something that can't be distinguished? _

Clouds moved across the sky as the sun yielded to the moon and stars, and in turn the moon and stars yielded to the sun. The cycle continued unbroken, and this bizarre natural mirror world was in complete balance. Even if something from the outside was to stumble across it, it would be doubled, therefore the world weighting this imbalance and turning it into an ocular perfection.

And it was of this place that Johan dreamt of for the night.

By the time his master was awake, Sapphire Pegasus had had an image of the place deeply ingrained in his mind, and for the rest of the day would vividly remember the sky and water as inseparable.

When the last member of the Gem Beast family awoke Sapphire Pegasus noted that it was eight in the morning according to Johan's perception of time, though this compared against the small shadows suggested that it was closer to noon. Johan, upon sensing Sapphire's confusion, looked at his watch. Twelve thirty one was their answer.

As mentor and apprentice made their way through the crowded airport terminal, the Gem Beasts acutely felt the vast culture differences of India and Norway. So different were the two places that it may have not been a stretch for them to wonder if the stark differences suggested mutually exclusive universes. Though it was not to say that the change was horrible, no matter how overwhelming. There was a great of people that they observed. Unlike many places in the current world, the people here had a fierce light in their eyes, mirroring the emergence of their country's radiance, for over the years India had managed to move closer to becoming a global superpower, though their progress was minimal compared to where China, the other Asian giant, had come. And there were many issues still plaguing the nearly billion Indian souls. From the occasional bigoted thought about a neighbour to a passing thought about the current prime minster and his regulations, it was clear to the Gem Beasts the social and political atmospheres had a lot to be cleared of.

Such was even more apparent when their host stepped outside of the terminal and waited for his manager. Off to the sides and at the bases of concrete walls sat a group of harried individuals that may have been beggars, possibly squatters. And for all the ultramodern equipment and architecture and technology, there was garbage strewn about. Several of the taxi cabs had wide dents in them. Several regional dialects bled into one and were nearly drowned out by a fast-paced remix of a folk song exploding from overhead speakers. A haze hung so thick in the air that looking up in the sky could have led one to believe that it was perpetually overcast.

There was such a total congestion that the Gem Beasts were nearly overcome by deja vu. Mumbai was the same as all the other cities Johan had and ever would be to.

--

Johan looked over his shoulder once again, half-heartedly searching for his late manager. He would have panicked had he not gotten use to Travis' erratic behaviour and penchant for moving through the day on his own time. He probably had scheduled something else, or took a detour so he could shriek into his wireless device at some low-level secretary of one company or another. Though it was more like shouting than shrieking.

To his left came a sigh. He looked over at Esaki who was standing with her right heel raised and a hand to her mouth. She looked distressed, but said nothing regarding her thoughts about what was keeping Travis. Johan wondered about it briefly, but found his thoughts drifting internally, towards his family.

Then came a familiar voice from behind. Turning, Johan made eye contact with Travis. Esaki turned around as well, her arms dropping to her sides and a small thanks escaping under her breath.

"It's good to see you again, champ," Travis began. He nodded towards his duellist, then looked towards Esaki. There was a pause as he looked her over from head to toe, clearly taking his time in assessing her presence. Whether or not he noticed her subtle discomfort was too hard for Johan to tell.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Esaki said in soft English with a deep bow.

"Ah, and the apprentice! My little girl, don't try to beguile me with your little pleasantries. I know enough about you from your dossier. Oh yes—you have one now. Not a lot of details, of course, but enough to know what to expect from you. It's on Johan's webpage."

Esaki cringed. She made a few pointless gestures with her hands, a dull glaze falling over her features. Biting her lip, she looked to the side and then at Travis. "I have a dossier? Ah...Well, what else am I to expect? Such a thing is not beyond the pro leagues...I'm not surprised. And there's nothing I can do." With a tilt of her head, she extended a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Webber. I owe my future to you, and I'm eternally grateful for what you have done for me."

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Travis reached out but did not take her hand. Instead he patted her head and smirked. "I like your gratitude, kid. Keep up the ostentatious quailing and you'll go far. Especially far since you're a female. The higher ups like a submissive show, you know. Men respond to it better because they don't like aggressive women. Assertive maybe, but not aggressive."

Esaki, for all her obstinance, only nodded as she brought her hand back to her side. Stepping back, she stood just slightly behind Johan and the their luggage.

"Anyway," Travis began, "we need to get a move on. The limo is waiting just a ways down the street. Damned cabbies made a formidable barrier."

And so they set out from the their spot in the eclectic crowd that reflected only a small portion of the diversity of India. Travis helped Esaki with her bags, and made several quips in English about the passing natives. His bluetooth device rung but he let it go to voicemail, instead catching Johan up with the results of several important duels that had taken place while had been gone. When they reached the limo, a black break in a yellow line, Travis waved the driver out and had him load the luggage in the trunk while he ushered Johan and Esaki into the interior of the car, a leather cave illuminated only by a dim light that changed colours every few seconds. When the colour changed to red, Johan wondered vaguely why his blue shirt did not appear purple.

Johan settled deeply into his seat as Travis resumed updating him again. As much as he wanted to pay attention, he felt himself overcome by a palpable detachment. He was tired. Jet lag was not helping either. His eyes grew moist, his shoulders relaxing. He looked over at Esaki who, though trying to pay attention to Travis, was evidently more consumed by private contemplation. Probably thinking about Travis' suggestion, Johan figured, and how it was practically a suggestion to lie about herself.

Though it was as if she did not hide it already.

It was just a matter now of having it pointed out. Before she had not been overly aware of her problems...

Travis said something about a phoenix before Johan fell asleep.

- -

Johan sat on the sidewalk curb outside of their hotel, people-watching with Esaki nearby, but preoccupied examining a native staple dish. Less than four inches away from the tips of his shoes hurtled a wave of rush hour traffic. Cabs, bicyclists, cars, BEST buses, and motorbikes passed by at such a rate that he found patterns in the static. A number of experiences—near collision, passing pedestrians chattering into cell phones, drivers exchanging curses as greetings—blended in his mind as he sat simply observing, slowly becoming a sensual vibrancy that told him the world was alive. It was soothing for him to sense the life of the world, and it filled him completely, making him whole where he was otherwise empty.

It was this feeling that, whether or not he realised it, had helped to keep him stay content over the years. With people (or the Gem Beasts) he had a chance to expand and open, to be himself and make his indelible mark upon other souls. And being in the presence of other people brought that peculiar sensation of vivacious motion. Though he could survive just as well with himself and his family, there was an undeniable satisfaction in having a world filled with human beings.

There was a vibrating in the side of his pants. His cell phone. Quickly extracting the white device from his pocket and slipping the top panel up, Johan brought it to his ear and said dryly "hey, Travis. What can I do for you?"

"You could lose that tone," came Travis' equally dry reply.

"Yes, sir."

"Anyway, are you feeling better now? Not going to blackout again?"

"No, sir. I'm feeling much more rested," Johan answered.

"Wonderful, champ. I want you to attend a dinner at six tonight. Dress nicely, but not too nice. We're not being pretentious tonight."

Johan held his breath and lifted his head. He was about to respond to Travis but, heeding a swelling feeling from his stomach, reached out and pulled Esaki and himself backwards. A stray motorist on a silver Vespa swerved out of the way of an errant bicyclist and just barely skimmed the curb. Esaki looked from Johan to the passing Vespa in silent awe, completely unnerved. She nodded her thanks, to which Johan responded by making a "V" with his free hand before answering Travis' impatient inquiries as to what that sharp sound had been.

"Just a passing scooter," Johan offered happily. "Nothing to worry about. Anyway, Esaki and I should be ready by five. Don't worry about transportation. We'll take a cab."

"Whatever—just don't be late. Dinner's at the Kavashi Depot, about seven blocks away from you."

"Depot?" Johan slightly cocked his head.

"Owner was trying to be edgy, you know, one of those of the new generation. It's all about sound and aesthetic rather than sense. You need anything else?"

"No, sir."

"See you, then, champ." And with that, Travis hung up.

After slipping his phone shut, Johan was given a questioning look by Esaki. Her neck twitched beneath the black lace tied there, suggesting she had swallowed her words. They were silent a bit longer, the sounds of irritated drivers passing over them.

"Travis wants to have dinner at six at the Kavashi Depot not too far from here," Johan said. He touched a hand to his forehead and grinned wryly. "Didn't say with who, but my bet is on someone from the Senrigan group."

"The Senrigan group?" Esaki asked softly.

"Yeah, the people behind Edo Phoenix. They've got a bit of a reputation, just like Edo you know, insouciant and equivocal, but they're good people."

With a sigh, Johan stood up and turned to face the entrance of their hotel. It would have been a much grander entrance had it not been a simple side entrance. He reached his hands above his head before pocketing his cell phone. Esaki looked back at the hotel entrance before standing up as well. She looked at Johan and held out the Indian food in her hands, a thin unleavened bread, a chapati.

"Andersen-san, would you finish this for me?"

"Ah, of course!" With a grin, Johan took the chapati from her and examined it a moment. He took a bite of it and rolled it around on his tongue to get the full taste, of which there was not much to be expected for Esaki had opted to forego the questionable spices offered by the vendor.

"Thank you, Andersen-san," Esaki said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Heh, you're always doing whatever people ask you of you, huh? You're so very generous."

"You think?" Johan asked between bites. He rolled his head and looked to the side, beginning to walk towards the hotel. "It's not so much as being generous as just wanting what people offer me. Like now, I was a bit hungry."

"Or so you say. Well, whatever. I'm sure you know yourself best."

Johan, who had just opened the door after sliding his keycard in a nearby slot, simpered. He held the door open and allowed her to go inside before himself. "Perhaps I've just done a good job of fooling you, then," he said as he finally shut the door after he entered.

"Fooling me?" Esaki repeated softly.

"Yes. The hardest person to know is yourself, you know? Maybe that should be your third lesson."

"Oh...But, Andersen-san, you're so sure of yourself and your...beliefs. How is it that you don't know yourself?" Esaki questioned while tilting her head. If anything, Johan's one distinguishing characteristic was his confidence in himself.

"Well, that's a good question, Esaki, and I wish I knew the answer. Maybe I was just saying something without thinking it through." Johan looked back at her, dazzling smile his lineament. "Sometimes people are good at putting up illusory fronts. It's not conscious, but rather natural. We just don't want people coming in sometimes because we are our own business, not theirs."

"Andersen-san, do you have something to hide?" Esaki asked quietly, as if they were talking of something that could have been a secret personal issue.

"Everyone has something to hide, Esaki," Johan said simply. "Whether you realise it or not, we do. Sometimes, we even hide it from ourselves. As a defence mechanism, perhaps."

Esaki regarded her mentor carefully as they waited for an elevator. Johan leaned against the wall with one foot off the ground, as roseate as ever despite the vaguely tense air.

"So, there you are," Johan said with a nod.

"There I am...?"

"Your third lesson: people put up fronts because they always have something to hide. It's especially true in Duel Monsters. If we went around without being able to hide, why, everyone would be able to read the opponent's game."

"Andersen-san?"

"Yes?"

"How did you know that Vespa was about to hit us? Was it...your family?"

"Yeah, it was."

Esaki nodded, and then the elevator arrived.


End file.
